Safety device for presses.



R. B. BENJAMIN SAFETY DEVICE FOR PHESSES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3' IBI3.

Patented Feb. 26,1918.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNGE. T BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COBPORATlUN OF ILLINQIS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR YRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. .Efll 8.

Application filed July 3, 1913. Serial No. 777,373.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Iresses, of which the following a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in protective means for punch presses and the like, one of the objects being to provide barrier to prevent the operator from in crt ing his hands beneath the operating parts of the press while said parts are moving, this barrier being so constructed that as long as it raised to permit the insertion of the work in the press the press cannot be tripped, but after the hands of the operator have been withdrawn to a point beyond the barrier and into a zone of safety the barrier may be dropped, permitting, the tripping of the press.

For the purpose or". disclosing my invention I have illustrated one embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings. In said drawings-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a press with my safety device attached;

Fig. 2 is a. top plan view of the tripping overs; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the barrier.

In the ei'nbodiincnt illustrated l have shown a punch press 1, which is of'the usual construction and is provided with a springreturned tripping mechanism 2, the ope-ration of which will trip the press and cause the ram to descend for one punching or cutting operation. This tripping mechanism is operated by means of a lever 3 which is connected thereto by a pair of rods 4 and 5, the rod i being; connected to a pivoted link member 6 on oi e side and the rod lJJlIlQ connected to said link member on the opposite side.

For protecting, the operators hands and preventing them from being inserted beneath the moving parts of the press while sa d parts are op rating, I provide a barrier 7' which, it will be noted, when in closed position iinniediately above the table 8 of the press. This barrier may be formed in any manner to permit the operator to see theret-hrough; as, For instance, as shown In the drawing, it may be slotted, as at 9, or it may be formed of a piece of glass or screen,,or, in fact, take any form which While preventing the operators hands from being placed on the table will permit the op erator to see therethrough. T he barrier is supported from a rod 10, which extends transversely of the press and is adjustable thereon by means of the slots 11 in the barrier and the locking pins 12 for securing it to the rod. This rod extends from a lever arm 13 pivoted at ll to the side of the press and connected by a rod 15 with a footlever 16 arranged in proximity to the foot lever 3. The lever 13 is provided with a stop 17 which, when the lever is operated to raise the barrier 7, moved into the path of a projection 18 on the link 6 to prevent said link from being depressed. Both the foot levers 3 and 16 are returned to normal posi- 'tion, after having once been operated, by suitable coiled springs 19 and .20.

In operation, the operator first places his iootv on the lever 16 which raises the barrier 7 so that. the Work can be placed in the press. As long as the lever 16 is held down by the foot and the barrier 7 raised the stop 1'? will be in the path of the link (5 and the lever 3 cannot be depressed to trip the press. AI"- ter the work has been properly positioned in the press the operator then withdraws his hands and releases the foot lever 16, placing his foot on the lever 3 to trip the press. The releasing of the lover lll permits the barrier 7 to drop and the stop 1'? to more out of the path of the link (3 so that when the operator presses on the lover 3 the press will be tripped. stop 17 is in such a position that the barrier 7 must be all the way down so that there is no clearance between the barrier and the table 8 in ivhirh the operator could place his hands. lt will also be noted that due to thd relation of the stop 17 with the link 18, if the barrier is not all the way down to the top of the table the stop will not be in a position to permit the link. 18 to more and the press cannot, therefore. be tripped. fl hen the tripping lever 3 is depressed, the projeclion i8 is moved into the path of movement of the stop 1', so that the barrier 7 cannot be raised as long as the tripping lover I; is depressed.

in some instances it is desirable to leave a small opening, as at 21, in the barrier It will be noted lhalnlhe.

through which work may be fed. It frequently occurs that the press is working on the end of a long length of material, in

- out the necessity of raising the barrier each time to push the work along.

I have shown two operating levers, 3 and 16, in proximity to one another, so that they may be operated by the same foot. It will be understood, however, that this is not essential, as the lovers may be placed on opposite sides of the press if desired, and operated by the respective feet of the operator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a safety device for presses, the com bination with a movable member for tripping the press, of means for operating said member, a movable barrier arranged in front of the operating mechanism of the press and adapted when in closed position to prevent the operator from inserting his hand into the mechanism of the press, means whereby said barrier may be moved to closed Position without tripping the press, stop means moved by the raising of said barrier into the path of the operating mechanism of said movable member to prevent the tripping of the press as long as the barrier is in a raised position and stop means controlled by the movement of said operating means for preventing movement of said barrier from said closed position.

2. In a safety device for presses, the combination with a movable member for tripping the press, of a tripping lever for said movable member, means for connecting said movable member with said lever, a pivot arm, a barrier supported on the end of said arm in a position in front of the operating mechanism of the press arranged when in a closed position to prevent the operator from inserting his hand into the operating mechanism of the press, a second lever means connecting said arm with said second lever whereby when the lever is depressed the barrier will be raised, and a stop member on said arm arranged when the barrier is raised to be moved into a position in the path of the connecting means for preventing the operation of said movable member as long as lhe barrier is raised.

3. In a safety device for presses, the combination with a movable member for tripping the press, of means for controlling said member, a movable guard arranged in front of the operating mechanism of the press and adapted, when in closed position, to prevent the operator from inserting his hands into the mechanism of the press, and

means for holding said guard in closed osi tion controlled by said first contro ling means, and means whereby said guard may be moved to closed position without tripping the press.

4. A machine having a part movable in a definite path and having means for controlling the movement of said part, in combination with a movableguard which, in one position, hinders the operator from placing his hands in the path of said part,

and means for holding said guard in said position controlled by said first controlling means, and means whereby said guard may be moved to said position without operating said controlling means.

5. A machine having a part movable in a definite path and having means for controlling the movement of said part, in combination with a movable guard which, in one position, hinder the operator from placing his hands in the path of said part, and latch means for holding said guard in said position controlled by said first controlling means, and means whereby said guard may be moved to said position without operating said controlling means.

6. A machine having a part movable in a definite path and having means for controlling the movement of said part, in combination with a movable guard which, in one position, hinders the operator from placing his hands in the path of said part, and movable stop means for holding said guard in said position controlled b said first controlling means, and means w ereby said guard may be moved to said position without operating said controllingmeans.

7. A machine having a part movable in a definite path and having means for controlling the movement of said part, in combination with a movable guard which, in one position, hinders the operator from placing his hands in the path of said part,

means for holding said guard in said position, and for controlling the movement of said first controlling means controlled by said first controlling means and by said guard, and means whereby said guard may be moved to said position without operating said first controllin means.

8. A machine having a part movable in a definite-path and having means for controlling the movement of said part, in combination with a movable guard which, in one position, hinders the operator from placing his hands in the path of said part, movable stop means for holding said guard in said position and for controlling the movement of said first controlling means controlled b said first controlling means and by sai guard, and means whereby said guard may be-moved to said position without operating said first eontrollin means.

9. In a safety device for prmses, the combination with a movable member for tripping the press, means for operating said member, a .movable guard arranged in front of the operating mechanism of the press and adapted, when in closed position, to prevent the operator from inserting his hands into the mechanism, of the press, and means whereby the niovement of said operating means to cause the operation of the tripping member locks the guard in closed position, and whereby the movement of said guard to open position locks the operating means in a position to prevent operation of the tripping member, and means whereby said guard may be moved to closed position without tripping the press.

10. In a safety device for presses, the combination with a' member for tripping the press movableirom the first position in which the press is not operated to a second position in which the press is operated, of a movable guard in front of the operating mechanism of the press and adapted, when in closed position, to prevent the operator from inserting his hands into the mechanism of the press, and interlocking means whereby if said guard is in open position and said tripping member is in said first position, the trip will be locked in this position and whereby if said guard is in closed position and said trip member in said second position, the guard will be locked in position, and means whereby said guard may be moved to closed position without tripping the press. a

11. In a sa fety device for presses, the combination with a member for tripping the press movable from a first position in which the press is not operated to a second position in which the press is operated, of a movable guard in front of the operating mechanism of the press, and adapted, when in closed position, to prevent the operator from inserting his hands into the mechanism of the press, and locking means whereby it said guard is in closed position and said trip member in said second position, said guard will be locked in position, and means whereby said guard may be moved to closed position without tripping the press.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

Witnesses E. R. KING, W. Penn! HAHN. 

